Introduction
Bandar Seri Begawan is the capital and largest city of Brunei, a small Islamic country on the island of Borneo. It lies along the Brunei River near its mouth on Brunei Bay, an inlet of the South China Sea. Until 1970 the city was known as Brunei Town.
Places of interest
The royal palace in Bandar Seri Begawan is one of the grandest in the world. Completed in the 1980s, it cost 400 million dollars and has 1,788 rooms spread over 50 acres (20 hectares). The city's Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque is the largest in the Far East. Other landmarks include the Brunei Museum, the Malay Technology Museum, and the University of Brunei Darussulam.
People and culture
Bandar Seri Begawan and the surrounding area are home to about two thirds of Brunei's population. The modern and the traditional coexist in the city. It has apartment buildings, hotels, and office buildings. Alongside the modern section of the city, however, is an older area called Kampong Ayer (Water Village). There people live in houses raised on stilts and connected by wooden walkways.
Economy
Bandar Seri Begawan is an agricultural trade center and river port. It also has plants for processing Brunei's rich reserves of petroleum and natural gas. Goods manufactured in Bandar Seri Begawan include textiles, furniture, and handicrafts. The city is served by an international airport.
History
A water village probably existed in the region of Bandar Seri Begawan as early as the 7th century AD. Over the centuries people settled in different parts of the region, eventually establishing a settlement on the site of the modern city. Government buildings and businesses were built on the site in the early 20th century, and the city was made the capital of Brunei in 1920. Most of the city was destroyed by bombs during World War II. After the war the city was rebuilt. Population (1995 estimate), 46,000.
